The conscription bill.
This important measure has passed both houses of Congress. For the information of our readers, a large majority of whom are interested in its provisions, we append a copy of the bill, as follows:A bill to be entitled ‘"an act to further Provide for the public Defence."’
In view of the exigencies of the country, and the absolute necessity of keeping in the service our gallant army, and of placing in the field a large additional force to meet the advancing columns of the enemy now invading our soil. Therefore,- Section 1. The Congress of the Confederate States do enact, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to call out and place in the military service of the Confederate States, for three years, unless the war shall have been sooner ended, all white men who are residents of the Confederate States, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years at the time the call or calls may be made, who are not legally exempted from military service. All of the persons afore said who are not now in the armies of the Confederacy, and whose term of service will expire before the end of the war, shall be continued in the service for three years from the date of their original enlistment, unless the war shall have been sooner ended. Provided, however, That all such companies, battalions, and regiments, whose term of original enlistment was for twelve months, shall have the right, within forty days, on a day to be fixed by the commander of the brigade to reorganize said companies, battalions, and regiments, by electing all their officers, which they had a right heretofore to elect, who shall be commissioned by the President: Provided, further, That furloughs not exceeding sixty days, with transportation home and back, shall be granted to all those retained in the service by the provisions of this act beyond the period of their original enlistment, and who have heretofore not received furloughs under the provisions of an act entitled ‘"An act providing for the granting of bounty and furloughs to privates and non-commissioned officers in the Provisional Army,"’ approved 11th December, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, said furloughs to be granted at such times, and in such numbers, as the Secretary of War may deem most compatible with the public interest; and Provided, further, That in lieu of a furlough the commutation value in money of the transportation hereinabove granted shall be pain to each private, musician, or non-commissioned officer who may elect to receive it at such time as the furlough would otherwise be granted: Provided, further, That all persons under the age of eighteen years, or over the age of thirty- five years, who are now enrolled in the military service of the Confederate States, in the regiments, battalions and companies hereafter to be organized, shall be required to remain in their respective companies, battalions and regiments for ninety days, unless their places can sooner be supplied by other recruits not now in the service, who are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years, and all laws and parts of laws providing for the re-enlistment of volunteers, and the organization thereof into companies, squadrons, battalions, or regiments, shall be, and the same are hereby, repealed.
- Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That such companies, squadrons, battalions, or regiments organized, or in process of organization by authority from the Secretary of War, as may be within thirty days from the passage of this act so far completed as to have the whole number of men requisite for organization actually enrolled, not embracing in said organizations any persons now in service, shall be mustered into the service of the Confederate States as part of the land forces of the same, to be received in that arm of the service in which they are authorized to organize, and shall elect their company, battalion, and regimental officers.
- Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That for the enrollment of all persons comprehended within the provisions of this act, who are not already in service in the armies of the Confederate States, it shall be lawful for the President with the consent of the Governors of the respective States, to employ State officers, and, on failure to obtain such consent, he shall employ Confederate officers, charged with the duty of making such enrollment in accordance with rules and regulations to be prescribed by him.
- Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That persons enrolled under the provisions of the preceding section, shall be assigned by the Secretary of War to the different companies now in service, until each company is filled to its maximum number, and the persons so enrolled shall be assigned to companies from the States from which they respectfully come.
- Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That all seamen and ordinary seamen in the land forces of the Confederate States, enrolled under the provisions of this act, may, on application of the Secretary of the Navy, be transferred from the land forces to the naval service.
- Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, That in all cases where a State may not have in the army a number of regiments, battalions, squadrons, or companies, sufficient to absorb the number of persons subject to military service under this act, belonging to such State, then the residue or excess thereof shall be kept as a reserve, under such regulations as may be established by the Secretary of War; and that a stated periods of not greater than three months, details, determined by lot, shall be made from said reserve, so that each company shall, as nearly as practicable, be kept full. Provided, That the persons held in reserve may remain at home until called into service by the President. Provided, also, that during their stay at home they shall not receive pay. Provided further, that the persons comprehended in this act shall not be subject to the rules and articles of war until mustered into the actual service of the Confederate States except that said persons, when enrolled and liable to duty, if they shall willfully refuse to obey said call, each of them shall be held to be a deserter, and punished as such under said articles. Provided, further, that whenever, in the opinion of the President, the exigencies of the public service may require it, he shall be authorized to call into actual service the entire reserve, or so much as may be necessary, not previously assigned to different companies in service under provision of section four of this act. Said reserve shall be organized under such rules as the Secretary of War may adopt, provided the company, battalion, and regimental officers until be elected by the troops composing the same; provided the troops raised in any one State shall not be combined in regimental battalion, squadron, or company organization, with troops raised in any other States.
- Sec. 7. Be it further enacted, That all soldiers now serving in the army, or mustered in the military service of the Confederate States, or enrolled in said service under the authorizations heretofore issued by the Secretary of War, and who are continued in the service by virtue of this act, who have not received the bounty of fifty dollars allowed by existing laws, shall be entitled to receive said bounty.
- Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, That each man who may hereafter be mustered into service, and who shall arm himself with a musket, shot-gun, rifle, or carbine, accepted as an efficient weapon, shall be paid the value thereof, to be ascertained by the mustering officer under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War, if he is willing to tell the name, and if he is not, then he shall be entitled to receive one dollar a month for the use of said received and approved musket, rifle, shot-gun, or carbine.
- Sec. 9. Be it further enacted, That persons not liable for duty may be received as substitutes for those who are, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War.
- Sec. 10. Be it further enacted, That all vacancies shall be filled by the President from the company, battalion, squadron or regiment in which such vacancies shall occur, by promotion according to seniority, except in cases of disability or other incompetency: Provided, however, That the President may, when, in his opinion it may be proper fill such vacancy or vacancies by the promotion of any officer or officers or private or privates from company, battalion, squadron or regiment who shall have been distinguished in the service by exhibition of valor and skill, and that whenever a vacancy shall occur in the lowest grade of the commissioned officers of a company, said vacancy shall be filled by election: Provided, all appointments made by the President shall be by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
- Sec. 11. Be it further enacted, That the provisions of the first section of this act relating to the election of officers shall apply to those regiments, battalions, and squadrons which are composed of twelve months and war companies, combined in the same organization, without regard to the manner in which the officers thereof were originally appointed.
- Sec. 12. Be it further enacted, That each company of infantry shall consist of one hundred and twenty-five, rank and file; each company of field artillery of one hundred and fifty, rank and file; and each of cavalry of eighty, rank and file.
- Sec. 13. Be it further enacted, That all persons subject to enrollment, who are now in the service, under the provisions of this act shall be permitted, previous to such enrollment, to volunteer in companies now in the service.
